When Dreams Come True: An Unforgettable Pulse Meet

When I joined World Pulse in 2016, I was timid, unsure of how I could blend in.

Almost every post I read spoke about an issue directly affecting women along the gender lenses. I wondered how I would start writing about sickle cell when almost every story was about a woman overcoming one aspect of a gendered issue from domestic violence to abuse to fighting obstinate men and cultures to reclaim their power.

Before then, I had wondered how I was going to be fully involved in World Pulse's signature Voices of the Future program that was 100% online. Voicing my concerns out and being listened to and making the efforts to make sure I get the most out of everything was the beginning of an amazing journey of love and sisterhood, a sisterhood that believes so .much in my story, voice,  journey and power  that are always rooting for me. As the years go by, so too the love and bond has grown and it became a wish and dream to meet as many sisters as possible.

You can all imagine how excited I was, when being admitted into Mobility International's  (MIUSA) Women Institute on Leadership and Disability (WILD) meant the dream was getting closer to meeting Sis Jensine, Corine and any other sister I could.  When I first heard Eugene, Oregon I was like Portland is also in Oregon could it be??

Covid came and the program was virtually done. I was like maybe not this time around. When we were told we would be coming for the in-person this year, I was excited and that excitement trippled when I got my visa approved. I  excitedly emailed Sis Jensine about that and how more excited I was when she told me she would be there! Yes, I know she was present during the virtual but to hear she will be there in person during the Gender, Disability and Development Institute (GDDI) workshop saw me start dancing in Cameroon. And when I shared the news with Corine too and she said she would be there, my joy and excitement knew no bounds.

The time for the travels came and despite a long tiring flight which thankfully,  this time was less stressful as my previous experience made me request airport assistance, delays and all notwithstanding, touch down in Eugene saw me start counting the days till the 15/16th June 2022.

On the evening of June 14th, I got a text from Sis Jensine. The excitement was equally palpable from her text and knowing my hearing challenges, I was moved by the love and concern about the best possible way we could communicate with each other she mentioned in her text on how best we could communicate. Where there is love, there is always a way out of an issue and we found that the next day.

After an almost rainy and dull days, as if in agreement with this  memorable day, June 15th dawned bright  and clear. As I prepared for the day, I was constantly telling myself "Arrey today is the day you have waited for!" Waiting at the hall for the GDDI delegates to start arriving, my eyes were fixed at the door. I would smile and wave  good morning to anyone coming in after me, but my eyes stayed fixed at the door, looking in expectation. And then the moment arrived! Sis Jensine as if in some secret agreement was also scanning the room as she came in,  a shade of red  to compliment her dressing in solidarity with my June red colour awareness campaign  for sickle cell and as if in some silent agreement, time  stood  still as our eyes clicked across the room,  the excited gravitation towards each other and then the HUG!

Oh the hug! The long, tight, uninterrupted hug. There was no time keeper but it was one long hug I dare say went up to about 10 or 15mins! In that moment, time stood still and nobody in the room mattered. It was just us. In that moment, more than 5 years of love, support, belief and sisterhood was solidified in more ways than one. In that moment, gratitude and the quiet assurance of I love you and see you sis was very evident and during that time, every eye was on us. I am sure everyone was like where did these people know each other?! An unforgetable moment it was and as I write this, I still feel that reassuring hug and love. The mystery was broken when, during GDDI introduction Sis Jensine  turned hers briefly into a shout out to me. Wow! I felt like a celebrity in that hall! And then I had the mic to talk about my World Pulse Journey. I could see some impatience  as I spoke but for the first time,  I didn't want to be brief because I  wanted the World to know how impactful my World Pulse journey has been and how much my person and voice matters especially in inclusion which is MIUSA's focus.

If we had our way, we probably could have spent the whole day together but GDDI was for delegates to meet new people and we had to give others a chance though it was a day well spent  and some how, where there is love, we found a way to speak. Text, sign, speech all worked for us.

Corine told me she was going to be there too and so I eagerly anticipated her coming.  On the 16th just before our graduation, Sis Jensine came with her to where I was standing, it was like getting that perfect finish on the icing on the cake of my WILD journey!

She met I  and another deaf WILD sister Kadi with our hands moving ever which way. Someone would have thought we were having a jazz comducting practice for our graduation but we were deep in conversation. I was trying hard to extract myself quietly from the sister when I saw Corine standing patiently, Kadi  didn't want to let me go so I.had to quickly sign please excuse me I need to meet these sisters!  And another tight hug followed! From the moment she graciously and lovingly agreed to be my first ever "captioner" on any World Pulse online event to ensure I get the most out of it long before CC captions became a thing, Corine and I have grown to have a bond that hug was a silent thank you of sorts. Of love and gratitude. Of polishing my stories with the right spices and sending me off into stardom through the amplification of my voice. It was a moment when more than five years of love and sisterhood stood by and then sealed! And though we didn't have much time, I still feel that hug and I am so grateful that Sis Jensine and Corine were there with me along side my host family, John and Erin, to watch me graduate from WILD.

A friend recently asked me who the white ladies on the pictures are that they seem to like me a lot and I said yes, we do love each other  a lot because we are sisters. The love was so visible even in pictures The pulse love defied cameras to shine through. Thank you both for making my dreams come true. It was an unforgettable moment that will forever be treasured.